The Lambertville record., 1887-07-13
A PATENT HOUSE.
WONDERFUL ARRANGEMENTS OF
MIR. DICKERSoN's HOME.

windows Never Opened, but tho Air Al
ways Fresh and Pure Electric Motors
Discharging the Most Laborious Tasks
OF Household Work-A Scientific Home.
One Of the most remarkable houses in
TINS or any other country is that of Mr..
b. N: Dickerson, the millionaire pat
ent lawyer of New York, who II
as remarkable man in his way
as his house is among others. He
is over six feet tall and is stout
and active, the very picture of health
and intellectually, with grave,
kind face and exceedingly gentle man
ner. He profoundly versed in all the
sciences, and in building this house he
determined omake it as perfect dwell
ng-place as money, brains and science
and good taste could accomplish.
The house is on Thirty fourth street,
near Fourth avenue, and seen from the
outside is quiet but large brownstone
building, and it sets close to the ground,
having but one or two steps to reach the
hall door. On the left side of the hall is
small reception-room, furnished ele-
gantly in every detail, and with several
handsome paintings among them, one
representing an inventor, poor and dis
tressed, showing an invention to rich
man well fed and sleek, tilted back in his
chair and wearing look of disdain for
the poor inventor who is trying to ex-
plain the merits of his model.
The interior of the hall is finished in
dark wood and the floor is of inlaid wood
over floor of solid concrete. The stair
case is wide and of polished wood carved
and massive bannisters support wide
hand rail, and each newelpost-andt there
is one on each landing-holds gas lamp,
which, like all the burners in the house,
is lighted by electricity.
On the left side of the lower hall is a
row of little closets, one for each member
of the family, for wraps, hats and um-
brellas.
The light for this hall comes from the
roof, the stairs turning in such way as
to give square well of light which is
shed through beautifully colored win
dow. The ceiling is of carved wood, the
heavy beams supporting another floor of
concrete, and these in turn others, so
that the whole house is made absolutely
fire proof. No wall is hollow, and there
is no possibility of fire, unless little
in one room might burn,
but 1t could not communicate to another
one.
The billiard and sewing rooms are on
the ground floor also. The billiard-room
is beautifully fitted up and has on two
sides raised diyan so that the ladies can
have full view of every game. Above
the mantel-piece is carved oak head
of, | think, Andrew jackson, which was
sawed off the bow of one of the United
States frigates by sailor one night in
revenge for some reason of his own. In
this billiard-room are portraits of several
of Mr.. Dickerson's ancestors who were
chief justices, colonial governors and
governors of New Jersey, and who held
other prominent positions.
The parlors are beautifully furnished
in manner entirely unlike any others
have seen. There are four cabinets, each
of them representing the finest lacquered
work in the world, each representative
pjeeeA of EEenGh. lie nanesA q oGhi" asa..slnd
with almost priceless pottery and ex-
quisite works of the carver's art. On the
is blue and silver candelabra
which once belonged to famous but
French queen. The walls
are made of the most delicately carved
satin-wood, and upon the little tables
are albums and volumes containing the
rarest engravings, etchings and prints.
The ceiling is painted in cream and
blue, and a large circular ornament in
the centre which sustains the elegant and
graceful chandelier is of open work iron
and is in point of fact a ventilator. OF
the chairs and sofas, divans and tapestry
| can remember next to nothing there
fore their harmony with the surround
ings must be perfect and unobtrusive.
The wide hallway is fitted up as a sort of
outer parlor, with magnificent pictures,
divans, piano and large organ, and
beautiful rugs and statues and little cabi-
nets with rare and fine pottery, immense
vases, and, in short, every beauty money
or taste could suggest, all well chosen
and placed with correct judgment, each
article exactly where 1t seems to belong
of right.
The parlors and dining-room are on
the second floor, and also large sitting
or morning room. The dining-room has
been considered so remarkable that an
illustrated description of it was published
in Harper's Magazine. In this room are
specimens of the finest porcelain extant,
and other valuable antiquities, some OF
which are over 300 years old. The cell
ing is in stamped leather, and there are
two screens which are maryels of Chi
nese and Japanese handwork, and in the
large west window, which is some six
teen feet wide by twelve feet high, is set
the magnificent piece of Japanese wood
carving that was so admired at the Cen
fitting like frame over two
feet deep and representing an arbor with
vines, foliage, trees and fruit, all carved
in full relief and as perfect as nature.
This is all opcn-work, and you can
thrust your arm up to the shoulder in
between the leaves and branches. There
is no other such piece of work in
America.
skip the chambers, the sitting and
and go to the library above
the dining. room. In this room is col
lection of the rarest and most select and
scientific books to be obtained by money
orfesearch, and here also are more beau
tiflil and historic pictures and relics,
beyond the value of money, Among
them is flask, covered with leather,
which came to this country with Christie
phcr Columbus. The library is furnished
in Turkish rugs, great soft arm-chairs,
handsome carved table, and the bookcases
and cabinets for the relics and pottery
are of carved walnut.
Directly above the library is the labora-
tory, where there is powerful dynamo,
an Immense stereopticon, photographs
outfit, telescope OF great power, micro
scopes, chemicals and models of various
kinds, and also the easel, paint-box and
easy chair and work-box of Mrs. Dicker-
son. 1t is in this room that Mr.. Dick
erson passes much Of his time working
at his own inventions, some thirty or
forty of which he has patented.
In all this house q window Is never